Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe prepare new impetus for bilateral cooperation

The Prime Minister, Luís Montenegro, attended the inauguration of the re-elected President of the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe, Carlos Vila Nova, in São Tomé today, reaffirming Portugal's willingness to continue fostering a relationship of "great proximity" and "strong cooperation" between the two countries.

"This is a relationship in which we are committed to the future of São Tomé and Príncipe," said Luís Montenegro, highlighting the continuation of cooperation between the two countries in financial matters and across several sectors, including education, health and energy.

Human ties and economic relations

The Prime Minister highlighted the human and economic dimensions of the relationship between the two countries.

"There are Portuguese people living in São Tomé and Príncipe and São Toméan people living in Portugal. There is trade between our countries and there are shared economic interests that we also want to develop," he said.

At multilateral level, Luís Montenegro highlighted the joint participation of Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe in the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) and in several international organisations, stressing the "strong convergence of principles and values" between the two countries.

Bilateral summit under preparation

The Prime Minister also said that Portugal and São Tomé and Príncipe have been discussing the organisation of a bilateral summit, which could provide an opportunity to deepen cooperation between the two countries in several areas.

"We are considering organising a bilateral summit, which I believe will provide an opportunity to deepen this cooperation at various levels, as well as to encourage investment by Portuguese companies in São Tomé and Príncipe," he stressed.